The 1998 Denver Broncos: The Greatest Team in Orange and Blue History

While the 1997 Broncos were the first to win a Super Bowl in Denver, the year that followed, 1998, was the greatest team ever assembled in orange and blue.

Everything fell into place in 1998, as the city of Denver and the whole Rocky Mountain region was a mile high over the Broncos first ever championship season.

As Denver was defending champs, they knew they would get every team’s best, every game—but they didn’t falter through most of the season, starting a remarkable 13-0.

The run was 18 straight games dating back to the ’97 postseason, tying the NFL record then.

The 1998 Broncos were a team through-and-through, starting from the top at Pat Bowlen and going all the way down to Keith Burns’ special teams standout.

 

Front Office

Pat Bowlen, Broncos owner in 1984, when he bought the team from Edgar Kaiser and saved it from possible bankruptcy.  He showed he was one of the best owners in sports, getting the Broncos to their fifth Super Bowl in 15 years.

Bowlen fired Wade Phillips after a two year experiment process and brought in Mike Shanahan to run the team as head coach and general manager. Shanahan brought winning ways, acting as the 49ers’ offensive coordinator in 1994 (when they won the Super Bowl), and his desire to do things his way—the right way.

Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak were revolutionaries of their time, and 1998 was the year Shanahan became “The Mastermind.”

Shanahan’s offensive vision was crystal clear, and when he combined his brain with the Broncos’ brawn, it was all over for any opponent that stood in their way.

 

The Players

The ’98 Broncos were a talented, athletic, and dominant group, especially on offense.

Starting with John Elway, the Broncos sent seven offensive starters to the Pro Bowl after their dramatic season was all said and done.

Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, had a solid year with 2,800 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions all coming on only 12 games played after Junior Seau injured Elway’s ribs in week 13.

Bigger than his statistical performance though, was Elway’s leadership—guiding the team through a historic season, and taking questions from the media to relieve pressure off of teammates.

I remember Elway being interviewed on MNF in week 10 and Al Michaels asking him if the Broncos will go undefeated. Elway answered, “We have to go 10-0 before we can go 16-0.”

While John Elway was the undoubted leader and commander of the Broncos, their most important player in 1998 was definitely Terrell Davis.

Davis was a star that burned so bright he could only sustain his luster for a short time in the NFL.

Davis, noted sixth round draft pick out of Georgia in 1995, turned into an elevating icon that got better year after year.

From 1995-98 Davis improved his running yards steadily, with 1,100, 1,500, 1,750, and finally 2,008 yards in 1998. Davis was only the fourth running back in NFL history to run for over 2,000 yards in a season at the time.

To add to his amazing total in yards, Davis had 21 touchdowns, a 5.1 yard/carry average, and ran for 125 yards per game!

TD had so many TDs he beat Jason Elam, the Broncos kicker, in scoring.

His superior running ability in 1998 led him to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, got him the AP Offensive Player of the Year Award, and the NFL MVP trophy as well.

In 1998, not only was Terrell Davis the best running back in the league, he was the NFL’s most dominant player overall.

Along with the Broncos tremendous running game was their numerous passing threats that allowed Elway to decide how he wanted to beat opposing teams’ defenses.

Ed McCaffery and Rod Smith each had 1,000 yard receiving seasons, only the second tandem to accomplish the feat in NFL history at the time. Either Smith or McCafferey could go deep or run crossing patterns in the middle of the field, causing headaches for secondaries all season.

Shannon Sharpe was also on the team, the tight end credited with revolutionizing the game for the position. Sharpe was dominant in ’98 creating matchup problems for defenses, because he was too fast for a linebacker and could beat safeties too.

Sharpe finished the season with 768 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Possibly the best and most underrated part of the ’98 Broncos offense was the offensive line. Centered by Tom Nalen, it included fellow Pro Bowlers Dan Neil and Tony Jones. The Broncos O-Line of the late 90s was overbearing to almost any defensive line as they opened huge holes for TD to run through and kept Elway off his back.

In all, the 1998 Broncos scored 501 points, a Denver record and a staggering number when you think about it.

Denver not only won in ’98, they blew teams out regularly having 12 points per game average. Some of the biggest routes include a 41-16 shellacking of the Eagles, a 40-14 beating of the Raiders, and a 38-16 commanding win over the Redskins.

After finishing with an NFL and Broncos best 14-2 record, Denver asserted their supremacy over teams in the playoffs as well.

In a rematch with the Dolphins, who had beaten Denver three weeks prior, the Broncos took control from the beginning, winning in commanding fashion 38-3.

In the AFC Championship game, the NY Jets put up a stronger fight, but Vinny Testeverte’s untimely turnovers sealed the deal for New York as Denver won again 23-10.

The Super Bowl was intriguing because it matched up Elway versus his old coach and one time nemesis Dan Rieves, the then coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Broncos dodged a bullet of sorts when the Falcons out kicked the Vikings in the NFC Championship game—The Vikings were the only team to score more than Denver in 1998.

In the lead up to the game, Elway dispelled rumors that the two still feuded and Elway let his play talk for him.

The performance was a career best for John Elway, as he threw for 336 yards, a touchdown, and ran for another score to easily overcome the Falcons 34-19.

Elway became the Super Bowl MVP and ended up riding his back-to-back championships into the sunset,into Canton, and the Football Hall of Fame.  

In all, the 1998 Denver Broncos sent 10 players to the Pro Bowl, including Elam who kicked an NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal in week eight against Jacksonville.

The team has one Hall of Famer in Elway, but should have at least a few more in the coming years joining him.

Davis may not make it, but should get some consideration.

Sharpe is an almost lock, and so is Nalen, eventually.

Others that should get a look over include Rod Smith, Steve Atwater, and Elam.

The 1998 team set many Broncos records including: overall scoring, points per game, wins, wins in a row, and finished off back-to-back Super Bowls.

If Elway doesn’t retire, who knows…the Broncos were so good they could have possibly been the first ever three-peat Super Bowl Champions.

It’s a fond idea to mull over in the Rockies, just as the 1998 Broncos should always be remembered in a fond way.

Never, before or since, have the Broncos come close to the amazing production of 1998, but we can all hope they can again soon.

 

20 Questions for Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton

In the wake of numerous changes; including firings, releasings, and trades, the Denver Broncos are a new team from top to bottom in 2009.

From a coaching standpoint, long-timer Mike Shanahan was fired in favor of young gun Josh McDaniels. From a player standpoint, the defense has undergone an overhaul, while the offense’s best player, QB Jay Cutler, is long gone in a trade to Chicago.

The trade brought two first-round draft picks, and QB Kyle Orton, a veteran gun slinger who played through many changes himself in the Bear’s blue and orange.

Now, Orton is the likely starter for another team of orange and blue, the Broncos of the Mile High city.

Entering the ’09 season, many questionmarks surround Orton, the most pressing of which I will ask here in a mock feature interview I would have with the QB if I got the chance of the NFL correspondent job through CBSsports and bleacherreport.com respectively. 

 

1. What was it like to learn you had been traded away from Chicago, your original and only NFL team, to the Denver Broncos?

2. What is the most memorable play of your career?

3. How did the Bears’ 2007 Super Bowl appearance help you as a player? What did you learn from coach Lovie Smith?

4. What do you think of Denver as a sports city, and Invesco Field at Mile High?

5. How will Broncos’ Country and the sell-out crowds help you win games?

6. What did Josh McDaniels tell you to welcome you to Denver?

7. What did you think of Josh McDaniels before he was your head coach?

8. Coach McDaniels has said the starting quarterback position is, as of now, up in the air. What do you think of Chris Simms as a quarterback and will you be the Broncos’ starting QB when the season starts September 13th at Cincinatti?

9. How will Josh McDaniels’ offense help you become a better quarterback?

10. What are you most excited about being in a Broncos’ uniform?

11. What are your thoughts on the ’09 Broncos as a team?

12. What do you think about playing with the potential playmakers on this Broncos’ team? Between Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Knoshawn Moreno, you have many to choose from, who will be your favorite target?

13. Do you consider yourself a leader and if so, how will you lead this young, inexperienced team?

14. You have started 31 games and currently have a 21-10 record as a starter, how will you bring your winning ways to Denver?

15. 2008 was your best statistical performance with 2,972 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. How will you continue to improve, starting with the 2009 season, and advance the Broncos’ QB position from 2008?

16. You went 1-11 on passes over 30 yards, including three interceptions in 2008. With Josh McDaniels’ offense including deep passes, what will you do to improve this stat?

17. Inside the opponent’s red zone you are borderline prolific with 21 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions. How will you continue these great performances, and how can you translate that success to other parts of the field as well?

18. You started off games strong in 2008, having a 116 rating and six touchdowns compared to zero picks in the first quarter, but your rating steadily decreases throughout games. Will the Mile High altitude affect you as a player and how will you combat this tiredness from slowing you down?

19. You also play well in the final two minutes of halves, having a 102 rating and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. How good of a fourth-quarter QB are you, and can you win games in the clutch like Broncos’ great John Elway?

20. Finally, what record do you expect the Denver Broncos to finish with this year?

 

I believe this is a solid set of questions, from a fan or a sportswriter’s standpoint. Background knowledge on a player lets fans know what the man as a person stands for and is about.

Asking him about Denver and his new head coach allows the newly acquired player room to get into the Broncos fan’s good graces.

As jelling with key players is a concern, asking him about some seems like a good idea. Also, knowing if he considers himself a leader like Elway, or just another guy along for the ride like Griese, is important as well.

Lastly, going into Orton’s stats was a good way at pinning down what he excels/lacks at, so I would ask him some stat-specific questions.

Overall, I hope Orton can jell with McDaniels and Co. and he has been considered a solid locker room guy throughout his career.

Hopefully Orton can continue his success in his new orange and blue.

Denver Broncos 2009 Mock Draft: The Beginning of Rebuilding

In the months before the election, many Americans, and specifically Coloradans, were moved by President Obama’s messages of hope, reassessing the American dream, and change.

In August, the Democratic National Convention was held in Denver, and Obama’s commencement speech was given in the Broncos’ beautiful Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.

Whether Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was in attendance or not I don’t know, but I do know he was swept up in the soon-to-be President’s theme of change.

Bowlen fired long-time, all-time great head coach Mike Shanahan, and with him went exhausted, ineffective ideas and schemes.

With Shanahan came the departure of GMs, yes two, and all previous assistant coaches besides Bobby Turner, running backs coach, and Rick Dennison, special teams coach. Both are tenured, serving Denver as assistant coaches for over a decade each. Included in the firings was Jeremy Bates, offensive play-caller, and the initial request of a trade by Jay Cutler.

In came Josh McDaniels, a young, relatively unproven entity at head coach, able to conceive the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. McDaniels didn’t take much time to make changes of his own, hiring Brian Xanders as GM, and seemingly handing him a list of pink slips to hand out on his first day.

McDaniels and Xanders began to cut the fat off the sluggish, unproductive Broncos team, starting with many defenders. Jamie Winborn, Dwayne Robertson, and Dre’ Bly were the big names to be sent home early, and more have come since then.

Jay Cutler, the latest Denver ex-Bronco, the most prestigious player to leave Broncos country, was unable to swallow his pride and subdue his ego long enough to even look at McDaniels’ extensive and exciting playbook.

McDaniels and Co. were forced into trading away their young gunslinging QB Jay Cutler. Cutler, the one player on the Broncos’ 2008 team that seemed safe, asked to be traded after the month and a half long McJaygate fiasco.

McDaniels and Xander got as close as possible to a “king’s ransom” for the pro bowl quarterback, getting veteran QB Kyle Orton and two first-round draft picks from the Bears.

With the departures came an extensive list of newcomers as well, 16 veteran free agents in all, including Brian Dawkins, Andre Davis, and Chris Simms.

Now, as the draft approaches, beginning tomorrow morning, the Broncos brass must continue to focus on the future of the organization.

2009 will be the first time in Denver Broncos history that the team has two picks in the first-round, and how they use them will be crucial.

Will the Broncos try to package the No. 12 and 18 picks together in order to move up drastically and have a chance at QB Mark Sanchez?

I say no because Denver would be better served taking two players in order to add as much talent as possible. Sayre Bedinger, B/R Broncos Community leader, agrees the Broncos won’t take Sanchez; read his reasons here.

Instead, Denver will use both picks separately and grab two different players-of-need.

Following is my Denver Broncos’ mock draft for 2009. Instead of speculating where Denver will trade picks, which is likely to happen with 10 overall, I will assume the Broncos will pick at the spots they currently own.

 

1. B.J. Raji DT (12th overall)

The Broncos’ biggest weakness at this point is defensive line, and Raji could be a great DT in the NFL.

At 6’2”, 337 pounds, Raji is a beast of a tackle, and can create penetration when needed. In his senior season, Raji had 42 tackles (22 solo), 16 stops behind the line, and a team-high eight sacks.

This young player could be the centerpiece of the Broncos’ new defensive line for years to come.

 

2. Brian Cushing OLB (18th overall)

Denver’s second most glaring weakness currently is at linebacker, and as they shift to the 3-4, an OLB is needed. While Rey Maualuga would be an awesome addition, he will likely go earlier than 18th. Some are predicting just a few earlier, 16th to San Diego.

Cushing though, is a great linebacker, “considered one of the finest strong side outside-linebackers in the game” according to NFL.com. He can blitz, track down running backs, and drop back into pass coverage.

Cushing would be an excellent complement to D.J. Williams on the weak-side, and would definitely improve the Broncos’ defense.

 

3.  Sean Smith CB (48th overall)

Smith, a converted receiver to cornerback, is new to the position but could learn much under Champ Bailey and the other veterans in Denver’s defensive backfield.

He had 46 tackles (23 solo), a forced fumble, nine defended passes, and five interceptions in his senior season in which he started all but one game. At 6’4”, 214 pounds, Smith would be an imposing figure as a corner, matching up well with the bigger receivers in the NFL game today.

The Broncos need a CB, as many of their DBs are aging; if not Smith, look for them to take at least one somewhere.

 

4.  Rashad Johnson S (79th overall)

Johnson could be undersized at 5’11”, 204 pounds, but he left Alabama a captain and was considered the SEC’s premier safety in 2008.

The safety had 89 tackles (60 solo), caused a fumble, and led Alabama with five interceptions and 11 passes defended.

He could be a great complement to Brian Dawkins’ hard hitting style as a safety that can cover.

 

5. Graham Harrell QB (84th overall)

The Broncos need a quarterback somewhere in this draft, so why not Harrell?

In 2008, Harrell passed for 5,111 yards, 45 touchdowns, compared to only nine interceptions for Texas Tech. He is heralded as a strong leader with decent mobility. However, a weakness could be his long ball, as he “does not have a cannon arm” according to NFL.com.

But Harrell would be a nice addition to the Broncos, competing for a job against Orton and Simms.

6.  Derek Walker DE (114th overall)

Walker, at 6’4”, 268 pounds has a legitimate NFL body, and uses his quickness off the ball to get around the edge of offensive tackles.

Walker proved to be versatile in his senior season at Illinois, playing all four lineman positions, and starting every game but one. He had 33 tackles, two fumble recoveries, intercepted a pass, and even blocked a field goal.

Walker would be a welcomed addition to Denver’s front seven.

 

7. Edwin Williams C (149th overall)

Williams was a solid three-year starter for Maryland, and was a first team All-ACC selection his senior year in 2008.

He is a leader on the offensive line, and is alert to blitzes. However, Williams lacks speed and can lunge at second-level defenders at times.

Denver, though, needs a center as Wiegmann enters his 14th season at the position.

 

8. Sam Swank K (185th overall)

The Broncos should take a kicker to compete with second-year player Matt Prater, as Prater missed many key field goals in 2008.

Swank has a legitimate NFL leg, routinely kicking field goals over 50 yards, and could help Denver’s special teams if he were to beat out Prater.

 

9. Curtis Taylor FS (225th overall)

As both of Denver’s safeties are aging, it may be in their best interest to select two. If that is the case, Taylor would be a good find late in the draft. His 6’2”, 209 pound frame is perfect for the position and he is quite athletic.

 

10. Herb Donaldson RB (235th overall)

Donaldson is a relative unknown from Western Illinois, but would improve the Broncos’ depth at running back. He posted over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns his senior season, a prospect that could become valuable later in his career.

So there you have it, my mock draft for 2009. The Broncos could pick any of these players, or none at all. Much of that depends on where players are taken and at what picks.

No matter what though, Denver needs to focus on defense in this draft, adding few offensive players here and there to bolster the squad. However, if they were to move up to take one of the two potentially great QBs, that would be beneficial also.

When all is said and done, the Denver Broncos will be a much improved team after this weekend.

 

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